Second arrest made in City of Newburgh shooting

Friday

Aug 2, 2013 at 1:42 PMAug 2, 2013 at 2:06 PM

CITY OF NEWBURGH - City police have arrested a second suspect in a Wednesday shooting on William Street.

Neighborhood Stabilization Team officers James Cerone, Carlos Mendez, Erik Sickler and William Hinspeter were on routine patrol around 10 p.m. Wednesday when they spotted the suspect, Joseph Clarke Jr., 28, of North Miller Street, walking near the intersection of William and South William streets.

Clarke ran when he saw the police officers, first north on William Street and then west on Hasbrouck Street, holding his waistband area as he ran.

Police said Clarke threw a handgun to the ground and at one point glanced back at his pursuers. At that point he ran into a street sign and fell to the ground. The pursuing officers took him into custody.

The weapon Clarke tossed away while fleeing was a loaded .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun, police said. Clarke also was in possession of 1.6 grams of cocaine, police said.

Police said Clarke was the suspect who shot a 17-year-old male in the leg during an altercation around 6 p.m. Wednesday in the vicinity of William Street and Benkard Avenue. A 16-year-old boy was arrested previously on weapon possession and reckless endangerment charges after police said he fired a gun in the fight. But police said at the time he was not the one who shot the 17-year-old.

Clarke was charged with first-degree assault, second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, all felonies. He was held pending arraignment in City Court.